1) Field of the Invention
A method of making a heat exchanger is provided. More particularly, a method of making a compact heat exchanger by an additive process is provided.
2) Description of Related Art
Known heat exchangers are devices built for efficient heat transfer from one fluid to another, whether the fluids are separated by a solid wall so that they never mix, or the fluids are directly contacted. Heat exchangers are typically used in refrigeration, air conditioning, space heating, electricity generation, and chemical processing. Heat exchangers are of particular use in the aerospace and automobile industries. For efficiency, heat exchangers are designed to maximize the surface area of the wall between the two fluids, while minimizing resistance to fluid flow through the exchanger. The heat exchanger's performance can also be affected by the addition of fins or corrugations in one or both directions, which increase surface area and may channel fluid flow or induce turbulence. Optimized devices are known as compact heat exchangers. Compact heat exchangers are complex structures with delicate components. The nature of the compact heat exchanger drives the cost of manufacture and cost of quality to high levels. Known methods of manufacturing heat exchangers and compact heat exchangers involve complex assembly and difficult attachment, brazing, soldering, or welding operations of the various parts of the heat exchangers, including but not limited to, the core, the exterior, interfacing flanges, fins, and manifolds. Known heat exchangers are typically of a thin foil construction and require brazing or a similar process to connect the pieces together. Thus, the cost of manufacturing compact heat exchangers using known methods is high due to the complex assembly operations and maintenance of tools to conduct the assembly operations. Moreover, the efficiency of compact heat exchangers using known methods of manufacturing is low. Finally, the increased demands placed on modern electronic, laser, engine, and similar systems, places increased demands on the cooling systems, which support them, in the manufacturing of compact heat exchangers. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of making a heat exchanger that does not have the problems associated with known methods.